


Forgiveness is a Funny Thing

by attic_gremlin



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Bittersweet, Fluff and Angst, Forgiveness, Hopeful Ending, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), LinkedUniverse, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:04:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27200116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/attic_gremlin/pseuds/attic_gremlin
Summary: Who can forgive the last man standing? Legend wonders.Hyrule might have an idea.
Relationships: Hyrule & Legend (Linked Universe), Legend (Linked Universe)/Marin (Legend of Zelda), Link/Marin (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 55





	Forgiveness is a Funny Thing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [M_ae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/M_ae/gifts).



> I'm so excited to finally reveal my piece for Seeking's LU Artist Appreciation Project!! This piece was written for Mae, and is based on this piece here: https://maeeeeeeeeeeeee.tumblr.com/post/627664417651326976/surprise-rays-oflight-im-your-gifter-for-the by maeeeeeeeeeeeee on Tumblr!! Check it out and send some love that way!
> 
> This piece was so lovely to look at and so inspiring. It has a very painterly and appropriately dream-like quality to it that I really hope I did justice!! It almost looks like the wings are sprouting from Marin herself, it's just so gorgeous!!
> 
> The title for this fic comes from a quote by William Arthur Ward: "Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting."

Legend is standing on a beach, because of course he is. He looks around, but he’s alone-- the beach is deserted, save for the seagulls that swoop across the sunset sky to pluck their supper from the waves. He stares at them, watching them swoop, dive, and pull up with a wriggling fish in their beaks over and over until he hears a sound to his right. He turns, and not ten meters down the beach from where he stands, he sees her: 

Marin. 

He starts to run, but the sand beneath his feet turns to jelly, sucking at his boots with each step. He slows to a crawl, fighting the quicksand beneath his feet to get closer to her. The gulls abandon their feast and start to circle her, forming a feathery vortex around her body. She doesn’t seem to notice them, still staring out at the sea. Soon, she’s surrounded by so many swirling gulls that Legend can no longer see her, no longer make out the fiery red of her hair or the cornflower blue of her dress. He struggles against the quicksand’s grip with all his might, fighting it harder than he ever has, but he’s sinking, further and further with each step--

He stumbles as the sand releases its grip on him. The seagulls are gone… but so is she. Disappeared, without a trace.

He wakes up gasping. His throat burns as he coughs through tears, and he’s soaked in a cold sweat. He throws off his blanket and sits upright, desperate for air. His fists clench and he forces himself to  _ slow down _ . His lungs fill more and more with each breath until slowly he regains control. 

He takes one last deep breath and glances around-- no one else is awake. His secret is safe. 

Wait.  _ No one _ is awake, not even the watch. Glancing up at the moon, it’s probably around third shift, which means Hyrule tonight. But Hyrule isn’t in his bedroll, either--

He hears a faint musical note from beyond the trees, then another. The airy flute is accompanied by crashing waves from the nearby beach. Legend sighs, resigns himself to a sleepless night, and stands shakily from his bedroll; the night will pass easier with a bit of quiet company. 

____________

Hyrule isn’t facing him when he breaks through the treeline. He’s gazing out over the water, softly playing random notes on his flute. They cut off when he hears Legend behind him. He doesn’t glance back, just pats the space next to him. Legend takes the offer. There’s a small pink flower tucked behind his ear, and in lieu of his flute, he occupies his fingers by twirling it absently.

“Ya ha ha,” Hyrule says, “You found me.” 

Hyrule glances over at him when Legend doesn’t answer. “Nightmares?” he asks. Legend shrugs. 

“Me, too,” Hyrule says.    
  


Legend hesitates. “About what?” he asks.

Hyrule looks away. “... an old adventure.” He says.  _ When aren’t they? _ Legend wonders. 

“Yeah,” he replies. “Same here.”

They stay quiet for a long time. 

Legend breaks the silence. “Do you think people can be forgiven,” He asks, “even after the ones they’ve hurt are gone?”

Hyrule considers the question for a long time. 

“Yes,” he finally says. “I do. There’s only one person who can do it, though.”

“Who?” 

Hyrule looks Legend in the eye. He seems to see straight through his body, right down to his soul. 

“Yourself,” Hyrule says. “You’re the only one left to blame yourself. So, you’re the only one left to forgive yourself, too. Bad people don’t blame themselves. They don’t feel guilt or shame for the things they’ve done; only good people do that-- at least, until they’re forgiven. And, only good people can truly forgive. So, if you feel guilty, you’re a good person. And if you’re a good person, you can forgive. And if you forgive yourself… maybe you won’t feel so guilty anymore.”

Hyrule seems to lose his momentary boldness and shrinks back into himself. “I don’t know, though. I’m not an expert.”

Legend isn’t sure what to say.

“You sounded pretty wise to me,” he eventually settles on.

They fall back into silence. Hyrule resumes his song.

Legend ponders Hyrule’s words. For hours, he sits, unmoving, until the sky turns grey and Hyrule is fast asleep. He doesn’t wake the next watch. He doesn’t carry Hyrule back to his bedroll. He just stares at the horizon, trying to decipher Hyrule’s advice. 

A seagull in a nest nearby eventually wakes and starts its day. As it hops towards the sea to catch its breakfast, though, it pauses in front of Legend. He digs in his pocket for a moment, careful not to disturb the sleeping Hyrule, and pulls out a few slices of dried fruit.

The gull hops closer and closer. It investigates his hand, and, deeming him safe, takes the fruit from him, cooing softly. Then, it turns around, flies up into a tree, and feeds the fruit to a nest full of tiny chicks chirping for their breakfast.

Legend stays still for a long time after that, long after the chicks have fallen silent with contentment and the gull has left to pluck its own breakfast from the waves. He’s not sure he can forgive himself for what happened on Koholint just yet. 

But now, he thinks he knows where to start. 


End file.
